True Belonging: Men Around the Bonfire
A Men's Retreat with Tom McGee and Richard Palmer
"True belonging doesn't require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are."
--Brene Brown
CONTACT US:
Tom McGee
805-648-5574
Richard Palmer
805-428-0393
Visit Our Website:
Men's Healing Work
Visit our Facebook Group:
Voyage Into Masculine Soul Community
EVENT INFORMATION:
MEALS PROVIDED:
Dinner on Friday
Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner on Saturday
Breakfast on Sunday
DORM-STYLE SLEEPING:
Bring sleeping bag and pillow.
RETREAT DETAILS:
The group will be limited to 25 men to allow for maximum participation and interaction. We encourage early registration to ensure a spot at the retreat and to access the lower early registration fee.
RETREAT FEES:
STANDARD RETREAT FEE: $575--Full payment by February 15, 2019
DEPOSIT: $175; holds your spot; full payment due by February 15, 2019
LATE REGISTRATION: $675; after February 15, 2019; final registration deadline is March 8, 2019
- Deepen our sense of belonging
- Approach this work through poetry, storytelling, guided exercises, discussion, and ceremony.
- Endeavor to bring out the best in each man and have it honored by the other men.
This retreat will be held at Camp Whittier in the mountains behind Santa Barbara, CA. We will be on 55 acres of land populated by oaks and deer, not far from Lake Cachuma. Camp Whittier provides bunk style accomodations and meals prepared by their on-site chef. We will have access to a wood-paneled lodge and outdoor fire pits. This promises to be an ideal setting for open, honest communication in an environment of physical and emotional safety.
RETREAT FAQS: for more details on the site and the retreat
Tom McGee and Richard Palmer are dedicated to helping men develop the wisdom and maturity that is their potential. We have been working with men in groups and individually for over twenty years, assisting them in growing into healthy relationships and fulfilling lives. This retreat is a continuation of the "Healing the Boy, Strengthening the Man" and "Voyage into Masculine Soul" retreats that is the culmination of all of our work. In this retreat, we will be focusing almost exclusively on the Man, who is growing into his full masculine identity.
This poem conveys the essence of this retreat:
WHAT IF IT WERE TRUE?
What if every strategic move
the boy made from the underground fort
of his heart's protection -- was not true?
What if the wind that whistled shrill
through the treewes
and the shadows that reached out for him
with claw like fingers,
would one day be his friends?
What if the mute fawn
hiding in a thicket of sage and willows
would one day discover the mawciulinge thrill
of antlered speech?
What if the loneliness that
for so many years
wrapped around
his bony shoulders
like a blanket of ice
would one day crack open
into a wild tribe of brothers
singing around a blazing fire
of homecoming?
What if it were true
that you belong here?
What if it were true?
Richard Palmer
from Grandfather Roots